Holy month of Ramadan begins

Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims, is also known as the month of the Quran. This is due to the belief the holy book was given to the mankind during this month. The month is also meant to remind those who follow Islam of their duty as a Muslim by keeping away from worldly temptations to tame the mind and determination. Those who observe Ramzan take food before dawn (suhur) and abstain from eating and drinking anything till they break their fast (iftar) at sundown. Ramadan is the ninth month considered the holiest one as per the Islamic lunar calendar, the beginning of which depends on the Imam (chief cleric) sighting of the New Moon by the naked eye.Observing Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam and followers are expected to strengthen their character. In India Muslims marked the beginning of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan with prayers at various Masjids on Thursday. In Arab countries Ramadan began on Wednesday, a day later among Iraq’s Shias.In Dubai, police are calling on the public to respect the tradition of fasting, reminding Muslims that to break it is a criminal act punishable by law. Last year for instance, local police arrested three people, two Arabs and a European, for violating the ban. Like Muslims elsewhere, the faithful in Gaza look forward to spending time in worship and being close to family and friends during Ramadan.Despite often being without proper meals and jobs, families here feel blessed that there are enough compassionate and helpful hands to make life easier for them in this troubled land during this auspicious season. After the holy month of Ramadan, Id festival is observed with full fervor across the world. With rest of the world New York Muslims also have started Ramadan, the holiest month for the world's more than one billion Muslims, during which observant believers fast from dawn to dusk. On Wednesday about 500 Muslims gathered for the first evening of Ramadan prayers at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York (ICCNY) in Manhattan. The ICCNY mosque was built in 1991 and is attended in large numbers by immigrant Muslims, from countries as diverse as Egypt, Morocco, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.